Electrical-fixture-supporting device



7 NOV. 24 1925. 1,562,611

R. B. BENJAMIN ELEQTRICAL FIXTURE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed May 20, 1921Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNirEn stares 1,562,611 i fil'ihhl'l @FFlCTE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGU, ILLIN'QIS, ASSZGNGB T BENJAMIN ELECTRICMANUFACTURING CDMPANY, O13 CHIUAGU,'ILLI1\TGI$, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

ELEGTRICAL-FEXTURE-S'UPIFOETING DEVICE.

Application filed May 20, 1921.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in I-Glectrical-Finture-SupportingDevices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to electrical fixture supporting devices andconnections therefor.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved fixturesupporting device in which the fixture can be readily con nected anddisconnected with respect to the receptacle, both electrically andmechani cally.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device which willbe simple in connstruction, cheap to manufacture and durable andefliciont in use.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow andfrom the appended claim.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown- Fig. 1is a vertical axial section showing the fixture, receptacle andconnector device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the supporting plate andconnecting device;

Fig. 3 is an inner face view showing the plug and connecting bracket;and

Fig. 1 is a face view of the receptacle.

The construction shown in the drawing comprises a fixture (the stem 11,and canopy 12 alone being shown) an electrical receptacle 13, a plug-indevice 14 for electrically connecting the fixture 10 with the receptacle13, and a mechanical connecting member or bracket 15 for mechanicallyconnecting the fixture with respect to the receptacle.

The plug-in device 14: is carried by the I connecting bracket 15, beingbodily slidably mounted thereon, to permit the necessary movement of theconnecting bracket 15 for making the mechanical connection withoutinterfering with the insertion of the contact blades 16 into theopenings 17 provided in the receptacle.

The mechanical connector member 15 is secured to the supporting plate 18(which may be a sort oi? cover for the outlet box) Serial No. 471,075.

by means of two hook members 19, which hook over the edges of thenotches in the supporting plate 18 (Figs. 2 and 4). The connectionbetween the connecting bracket 15 and the supporting plate 18 iseffected by movement of the bracket inwardly and downwardly with respectto the receptacle 13 and supporting plate 18, to bring the hook members19 in back of the supporting plate 18, and down back of the edges Offthe notches 20.

The sliding connection between the plugin device 14: and the connectingbracket- 15 hereinbetore referred to permits the downward movement ofthe connecting bracket 15 without interference from the engagement ofthe blades 16 in the opening 17, that is to say, it permits the blades16 to be pushed straight in at the same time permitting the connectingbracket 15 to be pushed in and also to be moved downwardly to effeet theengagement of the hooks 19 with the supporting plate 18. This slidingconnection ot' the plug-in device with the connecting bracket 15 iseffected by a pair of lugs 21 and 22, struck up from and formed integralwith the bracket 15, these lugs engaging corresponding notches 23 and 21in the insulating base on which the contact blades 16 are mounted. Theinsulating base 25 is thus slidably mounted between the strap members 26of the bracket 15, and the lugs 21 and 22. The lugs 21 and 22 by theirengagement in the notches 23 and 24 prevent the insulating base 25 fromslipping sidewise. It will be noted that the lugs 21 and 22 are ofdifferent widths, as are also the notches or recesses and 2 1, thusassuring the proper assembly of the plug-in device 14 with respect tothe bracket 15.

The connecting bracket 15 may be an integral sheet metal stamping,having the hook members 19 and the lugs 21 and 22 formed integraltherewith and struck up therefrom.

For connecting the fixture 10 to the brackct 15, the canopy 12 may havesecured to it a pair of transversely extending metal straps 27, whichmay be secured to the ends of the bracket 15 by means of screws 28.

A suitable ornamental finishing plate or escutcheon 29 may be secured tothe supporting plate or cover 18 by means of screws 30.

The wires for the fixture 10 lead from the fixture stem 11 through thecentral opening 31 in the insulating base 25 to the binding screws 82,which are threaded into the contact blades 16 of the plug-in device 1 1.

For electrically and mechanically connecting the fixture with respect tothe receptacle 13, the entire device comprising'the fixture 10, bracket15 and plug-in device 14: is presented to the receptacle in suchposition that the contact blades 16 are in position to enter theopenings 17 in the receptacle, and in such position that the hookmembers 19 on the bracket can be inserted into the notches 20 in thesupporting plate 18.

The entire device, including the fixture 10, the bracket 15, and theplug-in device 14: is then pushed inwardly to cause the contact blades16 to enter the openings 17 in the receptacle, and to causethe hookmember-s19 to enter in back of the supporting plate 18. The fixtur'elOand supporting bracket 15 are then shii'ted downwardly tocati'se-the-ends of the hook members 19 to engage in behind the edges ofthe notches -20 to hold the bracket-15securel'y in position on thesupporting plate 18,.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim asnew and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United'St-ates is:

A mechanical and electrical connector device comprising a fixturesupporting bracket and a plug slid-ably mounted on said bracket, saidbracket being formed of sheet material and having two'fl'atverticalba'rs lying in a common plane in front of the plug and havingcross bars at the top and bottom connecting-the vertical bars'and lugsextending toward each other from said cross bars, said plug beingslidably mounted betweenthe two vertical bars and the lugs.

In itness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

